Advanced Courses for Grades 6-8

This course covers only current grade-level content to a greater depth; it is not a compacted course.

Students who meet at least one of the following criteria will be automatically scheduled for 6th grade Advanced ELA:

• The student is identified as gifted in reading (specific academic) or identified as cognitively gifted.* OR
• The student scored a 5 on the 4th grade English Language Arts Ohio State Test (OST). OR
• The student is currently predicted to score a 5 on the current grade’s English Language Arts Ohio State Test (OST) with 77% confidence by Ohio’s Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS)**. 

Students who meet at least one of the following criteria will be automatically scheduled for Advanced ELA 7:

• The student is identified as gifted in reading (specific academic) or identified as cognitively gifted.* OR
• The student scored a 5 on the 5th grade English Language Arts Ohio State Test (OST). OR
• The student is currently predicted to score a 5 on the current grade’s English Language Arts Ohio State Test (OST) with 77% confidence by Ohio’s Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS)**. 
• The student successfully completed the previous year’s advanced ELA course with a grade of B- or better in Q1 AND Q2.

Students who meet the following criteria will be automatically scheduled for Advanced ELA 8:

• The student is identified as gifted in reading (specific academic) or identified as cognitively gifted.* OR
• The student scored a 5 on the 6th grade English Language Arts Ohio State Test (OST). OR
• The student is currently predicted to score a 5 on the current grade’s English Language Arts Ohio State Test (OST) with 77% confidence by Ohio’s Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS)**. 
• The student successfully completed the previous year’s advanced ELA course with a grade of B- or better in Q1 AND Q2.

If you have questions about your student’s scores or placement, please contact a building administrator.

The 6th and 7th grade courses are compacted courses that teach 6th - 8th grade content standards. 

• The 6th grade advanced course teaches all of the 6th grade and half of the 7th grade standards. Sixth grade students will take the 6th grade Math Ohio State Test (OST). 
• The 7th grade advanced course teaches the other half of 7th grade and all of the 8th grade standards. The 7th grade students will take the 8th grade Math OST. 
• The 8th grade students will take Algebra I for high school credit and an End-of-Course exam. Algebra I is a high school graduation requirement. Grades for this course will be factored into the student’s overall high school GPA and will allow a student to take Honors Geometry in 9th grade.  

Students who meet at least one of the following criteria will be automatically scheduled for Advanced Math 6:

• The student is identified as gifted in mathematics (specific academic) or identified as cognitively gifted.* OR
• The student scored a 5 on the 4th Grade Mathematics Ohio State Test (OST). OR
• The student is currently predicted to score a 5 on the 5th Grade Mathematics Ohio State Test (OST) with 77% confidence by Ohio’s Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS)**. 

Students who meet at least one of the following criteria will be automatically scheduled for Advanced Math 7:

• The student successfully completed the previous year’s advanced math course with a grade of B- or better in Q1 AND Q2. 
• The student completed regular 6th grade math and earned an 80% or higher overall score in the summer Bridge to Advanced 7th grade Math course. 

Students who meet at least one of the following criteria will be automatically scheduled for Algebra I:

• The student successfully completed the previous year’s advanced math course with a grade of B- or better in Q1 AND Q2. 

• The student completed regular 7th grade math and earned an 80% or higher overall score in the summer Bridge to Algebra I course.

If you have questions about your student’s scores or placement, please contact a building administrator.
 

The 6th and 7th grade courses are compacted courses that teach 6th - 8th grade content standards.

• The 6th grade advanced course teaches most of the 6th grade and some of the 7th grade standards. 
• The 7th grade advanced course teaches some of the 6th grade, most of the 7th grade, and all of the 8th grade standards. The 7th grade students will take the 8th grade Science OST. 
• The 8th grade course, Physical Science, is a high school graduation requirement. Grades for this course will be factored into the student’s overall high school GPA and will allow a student to take Honors Biology in 9th grade. 

Students who meet at least one of the following criteria will be automatically scheduled for Advanced Science 6 in 6th grade:

• The student is identified as gifted in science (specific academic) or identified as cognitively gifted.* OR
• The student and family should complete the decision guide tool to assist in making a decision for the course. This document is to help think through the decision and is not submitted. Conferencing with the current teacher can also be helpful in the decision making process. Please note that there are high expectations in an advanced course. Those expectations include the following, and the 8th grade course impacts overall high school GPA:
  • Increased depth, pace, and complexity of science standards,  
  • Increased expectation of higher-level thinking skills, and
  • Increased integration of reading, writing, and math skills. 

Students who successfully complete Advanced Science 6 with a grade of B- or better in Q1 AND Q2 will be automatically scheduled for Advanced Science 7 in 7th grade.

Students who successfully complete Advanced Science 7 with a grade of B- or better in Q1 AND Q2 will be automatically scheduled for Physical Science in 8th grade.

If you have questions about your student’s placement, please contact a building administrator.

Changes to the Program of Studies:

• If your student is a current 7th grader taking Advanced Social Studies, he/she will take World History as an 8th grader for high school credit. This is the final year this will be offered to 8th graders for high school credit. Grades for this course will be factored into the student’s overall high school GPA and count toward the graduation requirement.

• If your student is a current 6th grader taking Advanced Social Studies, he/she will take Advanced Social Studies 7 as a 7th grader and Advanced Social Studies 8 as an 8th grader. The 8th grade course, though advanced, will no longer award high school credit. The Advanced Social Studies 7 course will cover only current grade-level content to a greater depth; it will no longer be a compacted course. 

Students who meet at least one of the following criteria will be automatically scheduled for Advanced Social Studies 6:

• The student is identified as gifted in social studies (specific academic) or identified as cognitively gifted.* OR
• The student and family should complete the decision guide tool  to assist in making a decision for the course. This document is to help think through the decision and is not submitted. Conferencing with the current teacher can also be helpful in the decision making process. Please note that there are high expectations in an advanced course. Those expectations include the following:
  • Increased depth, pace, and complexity of social studies standards,  
  • Increased expectation of critical thinking skills, and
  • Increased integration of reading, writing, and speaking skills. 

Students must meet at least one of the following criteria to be automatically scheduled for Advanced Social Studies 7:

• The student is identified as gifted in social studies (specific academic) or identified as cognitively gifted.* OR
• The student successfully completed the previous year’s advanced social studies course with a grade of B- or better in Q1 AND Q2. OR
• The student and family should complete the decision guide tool to assist in making a decision for the course. This document is to help think through the decision and is not submitted. Conferencing with the current teacher can also be helpful in the decision making process. Please note that there are high expectations in an advanced course. Those expectations include the following:
  • Increased depth, pace, and complexity of social studies standards,  
  • Increased expectation of critical thinking skills, and
  • Increased integration of reading, writing, and speaking skills. 

Students will be automatically scheduled in World History in 8th grade if they successfully completed Advanced Social Studies 7 with a B- or better in Q1 AND Q2. 

If you have questions about your student’s placement, please contact a building administrator.